Something For The Fuse Guys ...

There and back again…..About 40 years ago, Polk, Fulton, and Lee came out with their cables that captivated “audiophiles” and encouraged them to believe they could significantly improve the sound of their systems without having to purchase new components or speakers. After observing increased profit margins for the fat “Monster” cables, manufacturers jumped in to create a myriad of reasons why certain cables, contraptions, and add-on doodads create a “clearer window,” “more realistic presentation,” “illusion of musicians in the room,” and improvements described by reviewers and in these threads by any number of oft-used clichés. The list of cable variations, and passive, electrical, mechanical, and psychological tweaks, has continued to grow and become more refined to the point where folks believe they need to replace their $150 fuses with the latest and greatest $150+ fuses, to avoid short-changing themselves by not allowing their systems to live up to their full potential.

My system construction first focused on getting the right components and speakers for the sound I enjoy, which contributed to over 90 percent of the resulting performance. The remaining 10 percent involved adding dedicated lines, well-constructed cables, solid support, room treatment, damping, and vibration control. While I have tried many other tweaks, including aftermarket fuses, any perceived changes resulting from those tweaks were virtually insignificant to the system performance relative to the contribution of the items mentioned above. Even when perceived, those changes provided nowhere near the impact reported by others on this site. Seriously, how many times can the sound of a system be “totally transformed” by replacing a fuse?  Isn’t there a limit?